


Siblings

by mayfield84



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Child Abuse, Drunk Neil Hargrove, Erica and Max bond, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Lucas is a clueless sweetheart, Period-Typical Racism, post-season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 21:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20414662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayfield84/pseuds/mayfield84
Summary: For a while, Max Mayfield considered the first few days of November, 1984 to be the worst: it was when she discovered there were scarier things in the world than bully stepbrothers and skinned knees. She had never felt so scared for her life or the safety of those she cared about.That is, until July 4th of 1985 came around. Max considered that to be the worst possible day. Her life changed forever that day.She never expected the days following the Battle of Starcourt to be living hell, even more so than when she was fighting monsters from another dimension.And it was all because of Neil Hargrove.Neil. Fucking. Hargrove.(or: max needs to start sleeping over at the sinclair’s more often and one night erica is in lucas’ room when she gets there)





	Siblings

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by two prompts i got.
> 
> one from Penny, who said, “postseason three max starts sleeping at Lucas's house because things are bad at home and max and the Sinclair family bond”
> 
> and sophie, who requested “could you do one where erica and max meet and/or about their friendship”
> 
> it turned out to be so adorable and i have fallen in love with the erica/max dynamic. i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i did writing it! :)

For a while, Max Mayfield considered the first few days of November, 1984 to be the worst: it was when she discovered there were scarier things in the world than bully stepbrothers and skinned knees. She had never felt so scared for her life or the safety of those she cared about.

That is, until July 4th of 1985 came around. Max considered that to be the worst possible day. Her life changed forever that day.

She never expected the days following the Battle of Starcourt to be living hell, even more so than when she was fighting monsters from another dimension.

And it was all because of Neil Hargrove.

Neil. _Fucking_. Hargrove.

Sure, he was bad before– getting drunk almost every night, cursing out her mom, throwing things, beating up Billy– but after the death of his only son, he scared Max more than the demodogs ever did.

Sure, he had been terrible before, but until he had been chosen by the Mindflayer Billy was no evil that needed vanquishing.

It certainly didn’t help that he spent his last few moments saving not only her best friend, but all of Hawkins.

The town she had grown to love so much since moving there nearly a year prior.

The town with the short days, bitter winters, stale air, no ocean, and slow-paced life.

The town with empty streets (perfect for skateboarding), plentiful diners, dry summers, and good friends.

At the beginning of her time in Hawkins, Max considered Billy to be her rock. He was mean, selfish, brash, rude, bossy– but he was familiar and grounded her in something routine. Something she knew. But as she gained friends, even a boyfriend, and developed a new routine, he became more of an annoyance than anything.

Especially as she saw how Jonathan and Will got along. And Nancy and Mike. And Lucas and Erica. Hell, even Steve and Dustin, despite not actually being related.

For a while she secretly longed for some kind of sibling that she didn’t despise. 

None of that made it any easier for Max to grieve when he died.

It was okay at first. Susan and Neil’s shock and grief occupied their minds for about a week. It was a grace period that allowed the young redhead to come to terms with her feelings on the situation.

And Max expected things would get easier. She thought that since Billy wasn’t there to provoke Neil anymore, he wouldn’t be as angry.

Turns out Neil was just an angry person, and without Billy there, he needed someone else to take it out on. And he would never take it out on Susan. He _loved_ her too much.

Max, however, he had no qualms being foul to.

And Max, being the fiercely independent girl she was, refused to let her friends know what was going on for two weeks after things had gotten worse at home– until one night when she couldn’t take it anymore.

Her stepfather had been drinking an awful lot (more than usual) and after dinner, Max had decided to curl up on the couch with a book in hand, while Neil and Susan sat next to her watching a movie. She wasn’t usually a reader but after the Battle of Starcourt the young redhead wasn’t allowed to leave the house for a while, so she had started on something she had found in Billy’s room. 

A copy of Neuromancer.

Strange, considering Billy was never much of a nerd, but it was there nonetheless. And Max had to admit it was pretty good.

“Maxine, why don’t you put the book down at watch the movie with us?” Susan suggested gently, putting her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“No thanks Mom, horror movies aren’t really my thing,” Max responded. She didn’t bother trying to correct her mother anymore. Even though she hated being called Maxine, it wasn’t worth the argument.

That statement was also a lie.

Max _loved_ horror movies.

But, Susan had chosen to watch Sleepaway Camp, which her daughter had seen many times before.

And Max knew there was one character Neil would comment on for being ineffective, useless, and worst of all, _black_. She didn’t want to be there for that.

“Max, listen to your mother. Watch the movie with us,” her stepfather drawled. His voice was thick with booze.

“Can I just go to bed? I’m kind of tired,” Max put in her counteroffer and she watched as his face fell into a scowl. 

“Maxine, please, just watch a little bit at least. We hardly ever spend time together anymore,” Susan replied. That was also a total lie– ever since Billy’s death Max wasn’t allowed to leave the house as much. Though she wasn’t technically grounded she felt like she was on house arrest.

“No thanks,” the teenager replied a little more firmly. She got up, Neuromancer in hand. Thankfully her room wasn’t too far away.

“Get back here, Max,” Neil growled as he crushed an empty beer can in his fist.

But the young redhead closed her bedroom door and pretended not to hear. She really wasn’t in the mood for Neil’s antics.

It only took a moment before she heard pounding. “Open this door,” her stepfather slurred.

Max remained silent, tucked away in the corner of her bedroom. She wrapped her arms tight around herself.

“Open this fucking door right now, Max!” Neil yelled, and the locked doorknob rattled.

“Shit,” she mumbled to herself. She had gotten herself in deep this time. It was a stupid mistake to say no to her mother, let alone her angry drunk stepfather.

“You are my daughter and you need to do what I tell you,” Max could hear him snarl through the thin barrier between them.

In a temporary lapse of judgement, she fought back. “I’m not your daughter and I _never_ will be!” she shouted.

There was a moment of silence.

“Open the goddamn door, Maxine. Don’t make me break it down,” she could barely hear his slurred words from outside her room.

Max felt herself shaking. If that door opened she would most certainly not make it out okay. Neil had hit her before, after all. She only had a small window of opportunity to escape.

_Literally_.

She glanced at her bedroom window and considered the possibility. It wouldn’t be the first time she snuck out- in fact, she had done it many times before. But never with Neil breathing down her neck like this.

It was now or never.

“Maxine, please just come out and watch the movie with us. I promise nothing bad will happen to you if you open the door,” she heard her mom’s voice, gentle and scared. Max grabbed a bag from her closet and haphazardly shoved some clothes into it.

“Bullshit, she needs punishment. She’s being disrespectful to you and she needs to learn that’s not okay,” Neil insisted. He knocked on the door once again. “Fuckin’ open this door already!“

Max opened her window and climbed out, a bag thrown over her shoulder and her skateboard tucked under her arm. The pounding on her door grew faint as she ran as fast as she could to the street. She usually hated that there were no street lamps– it made skating home alone a lot scarier on most nights. But in that moment she couldn’t be more thankful for the darkness cloaking her identity.

Once she was sure she was far enough away, Max threw her board onto the ground and hopped on it. Sure, she was faster running, but she couldn’t run for long.

And she knew she could skate forever.

“Shit, where do I go?” She muttered into the dry summer night air.

_Lucas’, duh._

Max had spent a few odd nights there before when Billy and Neil’s fighting at home became unbearable. Never had she stayed there because she was in danger.

All the more reason to let her stay, right?

The only obstacle was the half mile between her house and the Sinclair’s, but as long as she stayed out of the occasional streetlight Neil wouldn’t find her.

Max reached her boyfriend’s house in six minutes. The porch light was on and she could see the television glow through the sheer curtains adorning the front window.

Lucas’ bedroom window was opened and she could see him lazing on his bed reading a comic. He seemed so peaceful– she almost felt bad knocking on his windowsill and disrupting his quiet time.

“Hey there, Stalker,” Max greeted with a reluctant smile.

It warmed her heart to see how his face lit up at the sight of her.

“Max! To what do I owe this pleasure?” Lucas quickly jumped up and out his hand to help her. She gladly accepted.

“Neil _Fucking_ Hargrove,” she rolled her eyes. When Max left her house, she had been scared. But now, in a safe space she was comfortable in, grounded by a rock more sturdy than Billy ever was, she was just _angry_. And a little annoyed.

Concern flashed through Lucas’ eyes and his expression shifted dramatically. “Uh oh, what happened? Are you okay? Can I get you anything?” Max could feel his eyes examining her for any obvious wounds.

“I’m _fine_, Lucas. I just... needed to get out of there. That’s all,” she explained, perhaps a little sharper than she intended.

“Oh, okay. Do you wanna talk about it?” He offered and sat down on the edge of his bed. She followed suit, making an exasperated noise as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Nope,” Max replied simply.

“Do you need to stay the night?” Lucas tentatively wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He smiled to himself when she didn’t push him away, but the joy faded slightly when he felt her posture slump.

“Please,” Max sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, you know I wouldn’t if I didn’t really need to.”

He nodded, because she was right. Lucas knew she never asked for anything unless it was completely necessary. Thankfully he had gotten pretty good at anticipating her needs, to the point where she didn’t need to ask for much anymore. He just kind of knew.

”It’s fine. No trouble at all,” he leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek, and Max felt her problems melt away.

As much as you could melt away the problems of an abusive drunken stepfather, a dead stepbrother, and an unassertive mother.

“Thanks, Stalker,” Max bit her lip and leaned into his chest.

They sat there for a long while, enjoying each other’s reassuring touch.

“It’s getting late,” Lucas commented, flourishing with a yawn, which almost instantly made Max yawn.

He remembered reading a scientific study that determines yawning is a sign of empathy: if the other person is attuned to your emotions, they are more likely to yawn after you. It was a subconscious sign that connected Max to him.

God, when did he become such a nerd?

Right, _always_. He was _always_ a nerd.

“Yeah,” she murmured, her voice sleepy. It was adorable.

“Do you want to sleep in Erica’s room or in here? I can sleep on my floor if you like my bed,” Lucas suggested.

“I like your bed,” Max echoed, laying back on top of his covers. They were dark blue and quilted– and they smelled like Lucas. Major bonus. She was never one for sappy romance but and it it made her feel stupid to say but the way he smelled was so addictive: Musky and sweet and slightly like sweat, but not in a gross way.

“Alright,” he laughed and got his camo sleeping bag from his closet. Once it was laid out on the floor, it looked a little small. But Lucas didn’t mind.

When they were both changed into pajamas, had their teeth brushed, and they had cuddled enough that Max felt entirely ready to sleep, Lucas kissed her goodnight. But he had a hard time pulling away. She looked so delicate in his bed– her red hair strewn across his pillow, blankets pulled over her shoulders despite the summer weather. Her eyes were closed and she looked so content. He would be happy to sit on the edge of his bed, gently caressing her back while she slept.

Now that would be a stalkerish thing to do.

Dutifully, Lucas crawled onto his own sleeping bag, and drifted off to the soft noises Max made in her sleep.

This night occurred many nights after as well.

Nights where her household became too much so she went _home_, because home is where your heart is and Max was always loved at the Sinclair’s.

Sometimes Lucas’ parents knew, sometimes they didn’t. The times they knew Max stayed in Erica’s room. The times they didn’t, she spent in her favorite bed on the planet.

And sometimes Max talked about what happened, sometimes she didn’t. The times she talked she often had marks or bruises to brandish as some sick emblem of her struggles but her inevitable survival. The times she didn’t, well, Lucas could never really be sure if she was hurt, but she was always better by morning.

And sometimes Max went over just because she was bored, sometimes she wouldn’t stop crying for hours. On those nights Lucas found he couldn’t sleep, mind plagued with the possible horrors she might have faced that night.

But _every_ time Lucas was there.

Until one night, about two weeks after the first Neil-induced panic (over the course of which Max spent eight of fourteen nights at the Sinclair’s).

For the first time that summer, Lucas’ window was mostly closed and his light was off.

Max advanced anyways. It was a struggle to open the window from the outside, but thankfully it was unlocked so she made it through.

What she had not expected to see was Erica, sorting through her brother’s toy bin.

They stared at each other like deer caught in each other’s headlights.

“What are you doing here?” Erica accused. She held her hands behind her back.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Max replied after a moment.

“I was just, uh, checkin’. To see what Lukey was up to,” she explained slowly.

“Bullshit,” the redhead laughed balefully. She watched as the younger girl’s eyebrows raised, her eyes wide. “What’s that? Behind your back?”

Erica opened her mouth to defend herself but Max had swiftly crossed the room to check for herself.

“He-Man? What do you need him for?” Max sounded suspicious.

“To marry Barbie, _duh_. They’re in love,” the younger girl replied as if it was obvious.

“Right,” Max responded. “Listen,” she began in a hushed tone, “could you please go find Lucas for me? It’s, um, an important thing.”

“Important nerd thing? No thank you,” Erica stated. “Anyways, Dad took him out shopping, so it’ll be a while ‘til he’s back.”

“Um, how long exactly?” Max prodded tentatively.

“Anywhere from half an hour to two hours,” Erica shrugged. It wasn’t exactly her problem.

Max sighed and sat on Lucas’ bed. “I guess I can wait.”

Erica accepted that answer for nearly a minute before her eyebrows furrowed suspiciously. “What do you need from _Lukey_, anyway? Can’t you hang out with one of your other nerd friends?”

“_Lukey?_” Max laughed, hearty and full. “I was just bored, and Stalker is the most fun to mess with. Other than Mike, but only because he kind of hates me. Plus, Lucas’ window is the only one I know is always open at this time of night.”

Erica felt herself chuckle along with the older girl. “Stalker?” She questioned.

“Long story.”

“We have time.”

“Well, a long long time ago when I first moved here, your brother _Lukey_,” she spoke the nickname with an equal mix of amusement, affection, and disdain, “and his friends started following me around. I even left a note for them to find in a trash can. They were just always there, no matter what. It was kind of creepy. And at first I called all of them stalkers for it. I guess the nickname only really stuck on Lucas.”

“That wasn’t a very long story,” Erica huffed and crossed her arms, Barbie held tight in one fist and He-Man clutched in the other. “But that’s funny. I never knew he was that much of a creep.” She couldn’t help but be amused by the stories of her brother. Now officially interested in the conversation, she put the figurines down Lucas’ desk and sat next to Max on the edge of the bed.

“Yeah, he’s a total weirdo,” Max rolled her eyes. She sat up to see the younger girl watching her closely. “Do you have any good stalker-ish stories of him?”

“Well, the day of that winter dance thing-“

“Snow Ball,” Max corrected more defensively than she had intended.

“Snow Ball,” Erica nodded, “I saw him talking to himself in the mirror.” She snickered as Max looked at her with wide eyes, and she flashed a mischievous smile. “_Oh Max, please dance with me. I’ll just die if you don’t. Oh please, oh please, oh please_,” the younger girl imitated with deep bravado.

They collapsed into a shared fit of giggles.

“I think if he asked me like that I would have said no,” the redhead mused.

“So how did he do it?” Erica asked, putting her head in her hands and batting her eyelashes. It was a little gross, being about her brother and all, but she was a sucker for romance.

“Well,” Max laughed, “honestly, he didn’t. He could barely form a proper sentence and I kind of ended up asking him.”

Erica let out a loud sigh and flopped dramatically back onto the bed. “You can always count on a nerd to chicken out,” she said.

Max huffed in agreement fell down next to her. “Being a strong, independent girl is hard. And boys are stupid. You’ll learn both of those things very soon,” she explained and placed a sympathetic hand on the younger girl’s shoulder.

”Trust me, I’m gettin’ there,” Erica rolled her eyes.

“Oh? Trouble in paradise at Hawkins Elementary?” Max looked bemused with her eyebrows raised and her gaze curious.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Erica responded. “School hasn’t even started yet and I already hate it. So much drama.”

“Don’t worry, it only gets worse,” Max laughed. “But tell me about it.”

Erica sighed. “It’s complicated. Becky and Jen both like Dan, but Dan likes Amanda, but Amanda’s dad won’t let her date anyone ‘til she’s thirty. Also, Amanda thinks she’s the coolest ever but we all know she has self-esteem issues. Plus, Amanda likes this seventh grader named Jeremy but Jeremy is datin’ Becky’s best friend Stephanie, but Stephanie is cheatin’ on him with Dan’s brother, Joshua, but Joshua is clearly in love with Jen.”

Max stared at her with wide eyes. “Wow, that sounds like a soap opera. I’m glad I didn’t have any friends when I was that age.”

Erica looked confused. “Why didn’t you?” She asked, sounding both concerned and intrigued.

“Back in California, everyone was either rich or pretended to be, and I was neither. There were a few people I hung out with occasionally, but they turned out the be douchebags too,” Max sat up and shrugged casually.

“What’s California like?” Erica asked wistfully, also sitting up to meet her eyes.

“It’s big– much bigger than here. It’s warmer, and more humid. And everything there is so fast,” Max recalled, her eyes glazing over as she spoke fondly of her home state. “The beaches are beautiful if you can find an empty one, and summer nights last forever. There are also a lot of gourmet ice cream shops.”

“That I can get behind,” Erica laughed, and Max joined in. It was a nice moment.

The younger girl looked at Max. She was thin, but not too skinny, tall, but not lanky, tanned, but not dark, with many freckles peppering her skin. Her coppery red waves were slightly frizzy but they still looked soft, and her light blue eyes were like crystal.

This is the kind of girl they would make as a doll, she thought. This is the kind of girl they would put in movies and television shows. This is the kind of girl all of the guys should be pining for.

Erica wondered momentarily what it would be like to be that beautiful.

She also wondered how the _hell_ Lucas managed to get her. Max was _so_ out of his league.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” the redhead sounded amused when she noticed Erica staring at her with admiration. “Seems stalking runs in the family, huh?”

“No!” Erica sounded offended. “Let’s get one thing straight: I’m nothing like Lucas, alright?”

“Alright, little Sinclair,” Max teased, smirking. “You know, he does like you, even though he may not act like it all the time.”

“Yeah, I just make it my personal job to annoy the hell out of him,” Erica giggled. “That is the job of a little sister, after all.”

Max felt her heart twinge. She would be long dead if she had acted like that toward her older brother. _Step_brother.

When he was alive.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot,” Erica apologized sheepishly and put her hand on top of the older girl’s. After the Battle of Starcourt, Lucas had filled in his entire family about Max’s situation at home, and Erica felt bad for her. Especially since she knew the truth surrounding the circumstances of Billy’s death.

“It’s fine. I’m over it,” Max shook her head. She was definitely not over it, but the younger girl’s comment didn’t bother her.

Erica felt a sudden surge of appreciation she got a brother like Lucas, and took a silent vow to be a little nicer to him. “What is Lucas like around you?” She asked the redhead, her voice mild.

“Where do I start?” Max laughed softly. She considered the question for a moment. “Around his friends in general or just me specifically?”

“You, specifically,” Erica clarified.

Max nodded. “Well, he’s funny and he’s fun to talk to,” she began. “But he’s also the best listener I know, and he’s always there when I need him.”

Erica tried to ignore the sweet look on the redhead’s face as she spoke more fondly of Lucas than she did of California.

“In the past few weeks especially, he’s been great. He knows when to give me space and how to anticipate my needs before I even know about them. He’s also very good at not smothering me with attention or affection,” Max explained, sticking her tongue out at the thought. “Oh, and he’s very honest. And open. And he may act tough, but really he’s a huge sucker. The moment I whisper sweet nothings into his ear he melts and can’t say no to whatever I ask for.”

“Ew!” Erica giggled.

“It helps that he’s a really good kisser, too. Making out with him is great. It’s fun to feel his strong arms and his abs-“ Max chaffed dramatically, cutting off when Erica shoved her hand over her mouth.

“_Stop!_ I don’t wanna hear that!” Erica exclaimed playfully. They both collapsed in fits of laughter on Lucas’ bed.

After a minute they had regained their breath.

“That sounds nice though,” Erica commented wistfully, looking around her brother’s room.

“Yeah, it’s great and all, until he starts getting dumb again,” Max rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t keep the stupid affectionate smile off her face.

“Are boys really stupid forever?” Erica asked.

Max thought about Billy, and Neil, and Mike, and Lucas, and without a moment of hesitation, replied, “sadly for us, yes.”

“Oh,” the younger girl sighed.

“Why, is there a certain guy you’ve got your eyes on?” Max quirked her eyebrow.

“Well, yeah, kinda,” She replied, her gaze turned downward.

The redhead seemed excited. “Oooh, what’s he like? Does he like you back?”

“He’s... well, not everybody is like you,” Erica explained vaguely.

“Wha-? Oh. _Oh_,” Max felt her heart sink. Anger and guilt ate away at the pit of her stomach. The little Sinclair looked like she was going to cry.

“Listen to me, Erica, you are adorable and if a boy doesn’t see how beautiful you are in your own skin he definitely doesn’t deserve you,” Max rolled her eyes. Suddenly the urge to protect this girl overwhelmed her and she couldn’t stop herself from wrapping her in a big hug. “One day you’ll find someone that will make you feel special for being different, I promise.” 

Erica sniffled softly in response and after a moment, backed away, still slightly teary but not terribly so.

“Sorry,” she murmured, wiping her eyes on her shoulder sleeves.

“Don’t apologize. We girls have to be there for each other, always,” Max grabbed Erica’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

A sly smile quirked onto the younger girl’s face. “Like I’ll be there for you when your babies have dark hair and dark skin?” She teased.

Max’s eyes grew wide. “Ew, Erica!” She squealed and playfully smacked the little Sinclair. Then, she considered the possibility of her and Lucas working out long-term, them getting married, having kids...

It was only for a brief moment before she shunned the thought away.

_Gross._

“Are you guys... in love?” Erica asked suddenly, her nose scrunched in thought.

Max shook her head as she contemplated an answer. “I honestly don’t know,” she stated simply. Her gaze flickered around his room and all of the memories came flooding back to her as her eyes landed on the photos pinned to his cork board.

Lucas in his Venkman costume, Halloween ‘84. Because _yes_, he _was_ Venkman, no matter what Mike said.

Lucas and Erica posing for a Christmas card, December ‘79. Aww, they were so little. And wore matching outfits. He must really love that picture of them if he kept it on his wall.

The boys playing D&D at Will’s house, locked in an intense battle, May ‘82. They looked exhausted but ready to take on whatever challenge Mike, as the DM, would throw at them.

Lucas and El sharing a cheeky smile as they drew on Mike’s face with a permanent marker while he slept, June ‘84.

Dustin trying to hand Lucas a tiny Mews, November ‘81.

And last but certainly not least, Max’s favorite: Her and Lucas at the Snow Ball, December ‘83. After the two finished dancing, they held hands while they walked to Jonathan’s photo station. When he told them to pose and smile, Lucas put his arm comfortably around her waist and gave the camera a big, goofy grin, while the redhead stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.

A wave of affection echoed through her chest.

“I’m not sure what love feels like, and I’ve never really seen it before,” Max attempted to shrug away the way her heart glowed at the thought of her boyfriend. “But I do like him.”

“You guys have been together for nearly a year,” Erica commented.

“Well, not exactly,” Max chuckled. “I have broken up with him a few times.”

Erica’s eyes grew wide. “Really? I never would have known.”

Max nodded. “Mhm. But every time, he won me back. That boy really knows what he wants and how to get it.”

“Sounds like you’re just as much of a sucker as he is,” Erica pointed out, alluding to their earlier conversation.

Max shrugged. “I guess you’re right. _Ew_, that’s weird to think about,” the redhead laughed softly.

“Of course I’m right, I’m _Erica_,” she responded.

Whatever Max was about to retort was swiftly cut off by the bedroom door swinging open.

“Erica? What are you doing in my- Oh, hey, Max,” Lucas greeted, giving her a sheepishly apologetic look.

“We were just talking,” Max defended, putting her hand in the younger Sinclair’s.

“About?” The boy looked bemused. Since when were these two friends?

“Girl stuff,” Max chimed.

“_You_,” Erica added, a moment later.

“Me? What about me?” Lucas asked sounding more concerned than confused.

“About how you’re a terrible boyfriend and how she needs to break up with you,” Erica commented snidely.

Lucas’ eyes grew wide, looking to Max for confirmation.

The redhead, however, just shrugged and got up, slowly sauntering over to her boyfriend. Max wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a warm kiss on his lips.

“Yep. You’re a terrible boyfriend and I need to break up with you,” she echoed playfully, before kissing him again. She leaned into his touch as his hands settled around her waist.

“Ew,” Erica chided. She scrunched up her nose.

“Get out of my room!” Lucas yelled at her, breaking the moment between him and his girlfriend.

“No, let her stay,” Max told him.

And with her soft blue eyes gazing up so affectionately into his, how could he say no?

With a regretful motion Lucas rolled his eyes and let go of Max it out of curtesy for his little sister. The redhead, in return, kissed him briefly on the corner of his mouth, before going to sit next to Erica on the edge of his bed.

Unsure of where he fit into the equation, Lucas followed her, and ended up sitting up against his headboard. He was grateful when his girlfriend slipped her fingers into his and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

Until the early hours of the morning the trio sat and talked about everything and nothing all at once: School, racism, college, abusive stepfathers, driving, alcoholism, skateboarding, California, dead stepbrothers, arcade high-scores, My Little Pony.

By the end they were all exhausted but content beyond belief.

“It’s two o’clock in the morning,” Max commented with a large yawn, which was reciprocated by both Sinclairs.

“I should go to my room and sleep,” Erica nodded. She rubbed her eyes.

At this point, Max had moved to Lucas’ side up against the headboard, where he had lazily wrapped her arm around her waist when she had rested her head on his shoulder. Erica, meanwhile, sat at the foot of the bed, facing the couple.

“Yeah,” Lucas agreed, though his voice was barely above a whisper. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness for the past ten minutes or so.

With his girlfriend tucked comfortably in his side, where she belonged, he dozed off rather quickly once the talking ceased.

Max also found sleep rather quickly. In the familiarity and comfort of the Lucas’ room, she always slept better. It was easier with a steadfast boyfriend to keep her warm and safe.

But Erica did not leave. Instead, she crawled up to her brother’s side, and curled up next to him. The couple were no longer the only ones in the Sinclair Household that understood the true dangers of the world, and she found that by their side, she felt a little better about that.

**Author's Note:**

> i knew from the very beginning i wanted these three to bond, and having erica fall asleep with lucas and max just seemed like the perfect way to cement their relationships.
> 
> anyways, feel free to leave a comment, they keep me motivated to write :)


End file.
